Chapter 1: A Noble Party?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1: A Noble Party?
Six months ago, for reasons I still don't understand, I was suddenly dropped into a fantasy world.
Since I arrived in my own body, it’s more accurate to say I was translocated to this world rather than possessing a character in a story.
I was dumped into this grim, cruel world with absolutely nothing to my name.
My black hair and Asian features didn't help matters, making the early days incredibly difficult in more ways than one.
Naturally, I had no money, I couldn't read the language, and I didn't possess any survival skills or combat techniques to stay alive in the Labyrinth.
Fortunately, perhaps as a perk of being a "transferer," I could understand the spoken language. If I hadn't even had that, I probably would have died...
Anyway, treated as a penniless foreigner from the East, I scraped by—cleaning sewers, doing manual labor, and fighting tooth and nail just to survive.
Now, I’ve reached a point where I can respectably call myself an adventurer.
‘Because I threw myself into the Labyrinth to gain power.’
Even though I could only roam the upper levels, working as a porter for several months allowed me to save up a decent amount of money and put together some basic equipment.
Most importantly, after undergoing Mana Adaptation several times while entering the Labyrinth, I managed to obtain a few special "Abilities."
I suppose you could say risking my life in the Labyrinth actually paid off.
For the record, Mana Adaptation is basically like leveling up.
I don't have a status window, so I can't be sure of the specifics, but when you enter the Labyrinth, kill monsters, and gain experience, you undergo "Mana Adaptation."
When you experience it, your body becomes sturdier and stronger, and occasionally, you gain a "special power."
In the Labyrinth City, these special powers are called "Abilities," and I understood them as skills.
You go into the Labyrinth, kill monsters, stack experience, your level goes up, and you get a random skill.
Over the past six months of drifting in and out of the Labyrinth, I’ve undergone Mana Adaptation roughly five times and gained two Abilities.
[Subspace Pocket]
[Map Creation]
In that order: an inventory to store items and a mapping ability to ensure I never get lost.
Thanks to the inventory, I no longer had to haul heavy luggage, and I didn't have to leave monster carcasses behind because of weight limits.
Because of this, my income became incomparably larger than before.
I could bring back monsters hunted in the Labyrinth perfectly intact and sell every single part without wasting anything.
I didn't have to waste time harvesting materials inside the Labyrinth, nor did I lose money by damaging materials through improper harvesting techniques.
I just hunt, toss it in the inventory, walk out, and hand the whole thing over to the Guild. They take their cut and convert the rest into cash.
Anyone can see how convenient, simple, and revolutionary this method is just by hearing about it.
The Subspace Pocket is nothing short of a revolution in the logistics industry.
That’s why people with Subspace Pockets command a high price, even if they're just simple porters.
They can drastically reduce transportation costs.
Furthermore, because it’s a spatial-type power, I heard there are only a few people in this Ability-riddled Labyrinth City who possess it.
I think I heard there are only about three people, including myself, who have a Subspace Pocket.
Anyway, it’s an incredible ability, and because it’s so rare, merchants have approached me several times to sign exclusive contracts.
Of course, I turned them all down.
I want to earn a steady living and live comfortably in the Labyrinth City.
If I sign with merchants, I’d have to live the life of a traveling peddler from then on.
I hate the idea of wandering from place to place for the rest of my life. I just want to settle down here.
Above all, I have a desire to go into the Labyrinth and become stronger.
In the Labyrinth City, once you become strong, even nobles can't mess with you easily. So, becoming strong is a necessity.
Anyway, the Subspace Pocket alone is amazing, but thanks to Map Creation, I don't have to worry about getting lost, which makes hunting even faster.
In reality, couldn't I be considered an S-rank porter?
‘Besides, they say there are hardly any people who have undergone Mana Adaptation so frequently in such a short period.’
I suspect that because I came from another world, I might have a constitution that makes it easier to grow than others.
Like I’m receiving some kind of growth buff.
If I hadn't been given at least a minor cheat like this, there really would have been no hope in my life.
Anyway, back to the point.
"Ah. I want a slave."
In this Labyrinth City, slavery is legal.
Most of the slaves in this city are criminals or people who sold themselves because they couldn't pay back their debts on time.
A slave sold as a commodity like this cannot betray their master or disobey their orders.
A woman who won't betray me and will only look at me for the rest of her life. It’s the best.
More than anything, because there are so many adventurers in the Labyrinth City, "certain things" happen quite often.
For instance, while a husband is in the Labyrinth, his wife might have an affair with the buff young adventurer next door.
Or, while the husband is at the Guild selling monster materials, she might be fooling around with the green-as-grass rookie adventurer from the house behind them.
"Damn it. Just imagining it makes me want to puke."
Especially in a city with a high divorce rate and plenty of "home-wreckers," if you want to head out with peace of mind, it’s better if your wife is a slave.
That is the view on marriage I quickly realized after surviving in this rotten neighborhood for a mere six months.
I’ve seen too much filth.
To avoid being a sucker, a wife must be a slave.
Even if I don't make her my wife right away, having a female slave is good.
A woman I can put to work without pay.
Her mere existence would improve my quality of life.
Actually, the truth is that instead of spending money at a brothel, I just want to buy a slave of my own.
Forget all the grand excuses; I just want my own dedicated sex partner.
"Let's work. Let's make money. Let's buy a slave."
Muttering a work song to myself, I headed toward the Adventurer's Guild.
‘Come to think of it, that virgin earlier was pretty good.’
Her breasts were quite large, and her hips were the child-bearing type.
Most of all, that slightly tearful expression of hers was top-tier.
I heard she was a former adventurer who lost all her money gambling?
Besides cases like that, there are also those who are sold into slavery because they can't afford the cost of resurrection.
Those who die in the Labyrinth can be brought back to life at the Central Cathedral of the Labyrinth City.
However, the cost of resurrection isn't cheap.
The price even goes up every time you're resurrected. It’s a structure where your debt grows the more you die.
Those who are brought back but have no way to pay the debt become voluntary slaves.
Most are dragged off to brothels or mines to pay off their debt until they die, though occasionally a noble will pay off the debt and buy them.
Otherwise, they become adventurers owned by the Cathedral and work until the debt is fully paid.
‘Anyway, with looks like that and being a virgin, she’ll probably be sold soon.’
Like the slave trader said, she might be gone the next time I go.
Well, it’s not like we’re on a first-name basis.
If she’s gone, I’ll just be a little disappointed.
For now, I’ve learned that I need at least 30 gold coins to buy a "new" slave that no one has used yet, so let’s work hard to earn money.
"You're late today, Sion."
"Ah, yeah. I had something to look at."
As I entered the Adventurer's Guild, the counter lady, Edwin, greeted me with a smile.
Seriously, that eye-smile of hers is a masterpiece.
She even has large breasts and a great voice.
Especially when her green hair flutters, a nice scent wafts from her.
There are no bad rumors about her, either.
She has a great personality and is a truly wonderful woman.
‘The only problem is that she’s married.’
Did she say she had three kids?
She’s pretty, refined, and has a good job.
There’s no way men would have left a woman like her alone.
I’ve seen too many guys get killed for messing with married women, so I don't even dare to try.
By the way, Sion is the alias I use in this city.
Using my real name felt too out of place, so I just blurted out the first name that came to mind, which was Sion.
"I'm looking to head into the Labyrinth right now. Is there a suitable party?"
Given the time, I didn't have high expectations.
It was already the time when most adventurers would have entered the Labyrinth, so there was a high probability of a wasted trip.
No matter how much I have the Subspace Pocket, I'm too scared to go in alone, so if there’s no party to join, I plan to just go home and rest.
I have 12 gold coins on hand, so resting for a day won't really affect my life.
It just pushes the slave purchase one day further away.
"Well, there is one team..."
But what do you know?
She says there’s a party that hasn't entered the Labyrinth yet.
That’s good news for me.
However, for some reason, Edwin’s expression didn't look great.
It seemed like a party with some kind of issue.
I subtly asked what the story was.
"Sounds like there’s a problem with the party."
"Well, you see... how should I put it? They’re a bit... problematic."
"Problematic?"
"Yes. Well... Sion. Come closer..."
"Okay."
Edwin asked for my ear, as if she were about to tell me a secret.
As I leaned in close enough to hear her breathing, she whispered softly.
Edwin really does have a nice voice.
Whispering in my ear like this, it’s practically ASMR.
If only I could record this.
"Actually, it’s a party with a child of a noble in it."
"A noble?"
"Yes. A noble."
Ugh. Nobles are a bit uncomfortable.
There are so many of them with shady backgrounds that getting involved with them is a headache in many ways.
"Yes. It’s the daughter of Margrave Lionel. It seems she’s always admired adventurers."
"So she admired them so much she came to experience it herself? Is that the story?"
"Yes, exactly. But since she’s a noble’s child... it would be troublesome if something happened to her in the Labyrinth."
It certainly would be. Even if she died, she could be resurrected, but there’s a superstition that if you die even once, your soul is no longer whole and becomes corrupted.
Literally, it’s like a pure virgin soul becoming a non-virgin slut soul in an instant.
Of course, people living in the Labyrinth City don't think much of resurrection, but who knows how nobles outside the city feel?
Above all, the cost charged for resurrection is astronomical.
For those reasons, if Margrave Lionel were to hear that his daughter died a pathetic death in the upper levels of the Labyrinth, he might hold the Guild responsible if things went south.
If a noble from outside the city starts throwing a fit, asking how a rookie adventurer could die so easily, it becomes a massive pain.
And it’s not like she’s the third son of some nameless Viscount.
Or the illegitimate child of a Baron with a tiny fief on the outskirts.
She is the daughter of Margrave Lionel.
‘The House of Lionel. If I know the name, it must be a pretty significant family.’
They aren't even nobles within the Labyrinth City, but from outside.
Since someone like me, who doesn't even know the local nobles properly, knows the name, it must be a very prestigious family.
So that’s why she’s reacting like this.
She’s a rookie, so it’s bad if she dies.
Since there’s a noble behind her, no one wants to step up.
But they can't just send her into the Labyrinth alone because an accident seems inevitable.
A real headache has arrived.
"Since they're rookies, they need a guide, but I bet no one wanted to do it."
"Exactly. I like how easy it is to talk to you, Sion."
I’m blushing because she said she likes me.
I really like you too.
If only you weren't married, I would just...
"Ahem. So, were you perhaps going to ask me to be their guide?"
"Well, if you're only sticking to the upper levels, I thought you might be able to handle it, Sion. They might not be used to the Labyrinth, but they seem to have decent skills."
"Hmmmm."
To be honest, it’s a bit uncomfortable.
If something goes wrong with the Margrave’s daughter, the responsibility falls on me as the guide.
But it’s also true that it’s worth a shot.
"Alright, I'll do it."
I’ve been in and out of the upper levels non-stop for the past six months, so I know them inside out.
You could say I have a pretty good grasp of what’s where.
"If I take the guide role, there’s a reward, right?"
"Yes, of course. A small reward has been prepared. And your fame will increase too. After all, it will be recorded that you guided the daughter of a Margrave. That’s quite something, isn't it?"
"Fine. I'll do it."
Fame is important.
In a world where bloodlines, regional ties, and school ties are considered the most important, a foreign laborer like me with no backing needs at least fame to survive.
Also, my adventurer rank only goes up as my fame increases, and that naturally increases my influence. So, it’s always best to raise fame whenever possible.
"They're gathered at that table over there, so you can head over."
"Thanks."
I gave Edwin a quick nod and headed toward the table where the four apprentice adventurers I’d be guiding were sitting and chatting.
But something was strange.
‘What? Are they all women?’
First, there was the blonde brat who looked like the Margrave’s daughter.
Her bratty expression reeked of being a total disaster.
It’s not that she’s ugly.
No, despite being pretty, she just looks like the type who doesn't listen to a word anyone says.
And sitting next to the brat was a purple-haired witch in baggy clothes and a silver-haired woman in armor—likely the bodyguards for this Labyrinth trip.
And at the end, the squinty-eyed priestess... she’s a pink-haired bimbo?
‘I see. I see why everyone avoided the guide role.’
The Labyrinth is quite fierce.
It’s even harsher to those who aren't properly prepared.
Right now, they look like they're out on a picnic.
Watching four women laughing and chatting made me feel incredibly uneasy.
If they act with that little tension in the Labyrinth, something bad is bound to happen.
Still, since I’m in charge of them for the day, I should at least introduce myself.
"Hello. I'm Sion, and I'll be your guide for today."
"Ah. You're here, porter."
"Excuse me?"
"No, I mean, they said we couldn't enter the Labyrinth if we didn't have a porter, even if we waited all day."
"I, uh, I'm here as a guide, not a porter..."
"That’s what a porter is. Anyway, with our skills, the Labyrinth is nothing. Right?"
"That’s right, My Lady. The Labyrinth is just a big hole, isn't it?"
"I... also think it’s nothing special..."
"Oh my. A big hole? Hohoho."
"..."
The Margrave’s daughter, who treated me like a porter the moment she saw me.
The dimwitted female knight, who thinks the Labyrinth is nothing special.
The witch, who feels like some kind of extroverted loser.
And even the pink-haired priestess reacting to the word "hole."
It truly reeks of a bottom-tier party...
No, whatever.
"Yes, yes. I am indeed the porter. Shall we head into the Labyrinth right away, then?"
As long as I can make money, it’s fine.
In fact, if I play my cards right with these women, who knows if they’ll hand me a gold coin as a tip?
Pride doesn't put food on the table.
Besides, a porter of only six months has no pride to speak of.
‘Money is king. And these people are my customers.’
The important things are money and fame.
Everything else is just a means to an end.
I led the four women into the Labyrinth.
I’ll give them a proper carry through the Labyrinth and make sure to pocket those tips.